On a day like Friday, you'd have been hard pressed to find a better place to spend time than along the Mahoning River.
It's just the kind of day Ed Hahn and Chuck Miller have been planning for.

"We've been paddling for 10 years together and trying to find easy access and safe access to the river and on the river," Hahn said. 

Their vision became reality Friday as they helped cut the ribbon on Struthers' river launch.
They worked together to help the city secure grant money from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
While the dam has been moved and river dredging is all but wrapped up...

"This has been probably two years plus in the making," says Hahn. "We had to actually file an extension because of COVID and also what they got into in removing the dam."

High water levels kept crews from that demolition work at times, but in the meantime allowed them to focus on getting the walkway down to the launch handicap accessible.

"They can kayak, there's different sports, different things we want to look at to go along with Lowellville and cooperate on some projects," says Struthers mayor Catherine Cercone Miller. "We want people to get in here, get out at Lowellville."

Miller still wants more signage and other amenities and says pursuing more grant dollars is only one of the city's options.
For now though, she's happy there will many more days like this one in her city.